"My sister-in-law had cancer for a couple of years. It started in her cervix and she had a hysterectomy but then they found a tumour in her spine."

Patrisia, who lives in Little Bay in south-east Sydney, said it was an almost three-year battle, including a last ditch attempt on a trial drug, before her sister-in-law succumbed to the disease just before Christmas.

"In the end it was unfortunately liver cancer that she passed away from," Patrisia said.

It was shortly after the funeral, while the family were on a holiday in Maitland, that Tiana told her mum she wanted to sell bracelets to raise money for cancer research.

"My mum was fixing one of my sister's bracelets after it snapped," Tiana told 9Honey. "When I saw that she was doing it I wanted to try it out as well."

What started out as a hobby became a chance to do something positive following her auntie's death.